Christine De Luca

Christine De Luca

Biographical Note

Christine De Luca, who writes in both English and Shetlandic, is a native Shetlander who has lived in Edinburgh since student days. She enjoys her dual identity and was recently appointed Edinburgh’s Makar or poet laureate (until 2017).

Despite a full-time working life in education she has produced over a dozen books, mainly poetry, but also a novel and some children’s stories. Her latest collection is Dat Trickster Sun (Mariscat 2014). She is active in translation and has taken part in literary festivals in many countries. Her poetry has often won awards in her native Shetland and a French bilingual Selected, Mondes Parallèles (éditions fédérop, 2007), won the Prix du Livre insulaire 2007 pour Poésie. Her poems have been selected three times for the Best Scottish Poems of the Year (2006, 2010 and 2013).

She also enjoys collaborating with visuals artists and musicians. Besides being a long-standing member and former Chair of Shore Poets, she is also a committee member of the Poetry Association of Scotland. Hansel Cooperative Press (supporting the arts in Orkney and Shetland) is also dear to her heart.